NJ Father Legally Buys Gun for Son, Gets Visit From Dept of Children and Families

NJ Father Legally Buys Gun for Son, Gets Visit From Dept of Children and Families

A New Jersey father got a visit from the police and the NJ Department of Children and Families after posting a picture on Facebook of his son holding his birthday present – a .22 caliber rifle.

The New Jersey Police and the Department of Children and Families declined follow-ups with the media, but the DCF did say that they follow-up on tips they receive from the public.

Dad Shawn Moore legally bought and gave the rifle – a .22 caliber “copy” of a military assault rifle – to his son Josh for his 11th birthday, so he could have his own gun on family hunting trips.

But after Moore posted a photo of his son holding the gun on Facebook (seen above, minus 8BitDad photographic tomfoolery), the Department of Children and Families showed up with four police escorts to investigate.

Moore wasn’t at home when the investigators arrived; his wife called and he rushed home, getting his friend – a lawyer specializing in Second Amendment cases – on speakerphone.

The investigators wanted to check inside of Moore’s gun safe to see if his other firearms were registered. Coincidentally, in New Jersey, guns need not be registered with the state. Moore declined, and asked if the police had a warrant to search his home. When police admitted that they did not, Moore asked them to leave.

According to CBS Philly, nothing has happened since.

What do you think about this case? Was it right for investigators to follow-up on this tip? Is the gun cause for concern? Did the Department of Children and Families handle this correctly? Let us know in the comments!

The cops didn’t invade his privacy. They followed up on a tip, performed no illegal searches or seizures, and left when the homeowner asked them to. The police are doing their jobs well — which is more than this father can say buying his pre-teen son an assault rifle.

The cops *attempted* to invade his privacy, but didn’t cross the line because they were smart enough not to go into the home without a warrant.

I’d like to note that this may be a copy of an “assault rifle”, but this rifle itself is by definition NOT an assault rifle (an assault rifle is capable of firing multiple rounds with one trigger pull – this one cannot).

“What the hell is wrong with people?” asks daddyfiles, what would you prefer he purchased for his son to go on their hunting trips? A rifle that is better equipped to take game? I’d agree with that.

My son has a rifle in the safe waiting for him to reach an appropriate maturity level to use it. Does that make me a bad Dad? I sure hope not.

How do you know what the cops “attempted?” They went there for questioning, you don’t know the intent that was in their heads. They didn’t go into the home without a warrant because legally they can’t, unless they’re invited in by an adult who resides there. Bottom line is they didn’t break the law. And neither did the father. I certainly didn’t claim he did anything illegal. Ill-advised to give an 11-year-old a gun? Sure. But not illegal. So I guess everything is just ducky.

We should definitely follow up on tips to protect our children. But I don’t see what in the photo would prompt alarm. I wouldn’t buy my son a working toy gun like that, but it’s not illegal. (Yes, a replica of an assault rifle is a toy in my opinion.)